Compare towns
Dover vs Portsmouth vs Eliot vs Newington
Cost, people, housing, commute and schools, side by side, each benchmarked against the U.S..
What stands out worked out from the figures below
Dover has the youngest population (median age 36.9).
Portsmouth has the most people working from home (21.9%).
Eliot has the oldest population (median age 50.8).
Newington has the highest household income ($146k).
What matters to you?
Pick a few. We’ll pull those rows to the top and mark which town comes out ahead on each. There’s no overall score: what matters is up to you.
| Measure | Dover | Portsmouth | Eliot | Newington |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Your priorities | ||||
| People | ||||
| Population | 33,364Highest |
22,545 |
7,146 |
939Lowest |
| Growth since 20102010 → 2020 census | +9.2%Highest U.S.: +7.4% |
+5.7%Lowest U.S.: +7.4% |
+8.3% U.S.: +7.4% |
+7.7% U.S.: +7.4% |
| Median age | 36.9±1.9Lowest 5% below U.S. |
42.9±2 10% above U.S. |
50.8±5.9Highest 31% above U.S. |
48.7±10.1 25% above U.S. |
| Eliot and Newington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Kids under 18 | 16.9%±1.8Highest U.S.: 22% |
14%±1.9Lowest U.S.: 22% |
16.3%±3.9 U.S.: 22% |
15.7%±4.9 U.S.: 22% |
| Dover and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Age 65+ | 16.8%±1.8Lowest U.S.: 17.2% |
21.9%±2.4 U.S.: 17.2% |
27.8%±6.2 U.S.: 17.2% |
28%±11Highest U.S.: 17.2% |
| Newington and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Bachelor’s degree+adults 25+ | 52% U.S.: 35.7% |
64%Highest U.S.: 35.7% |
43.6%Lowest U.S.: 35.7% |
62.4% U.S.: 35.7% |
| Enrolled in collegeshare of residents | 6.2%±1.2Highest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.8%±1.2 U.S.: 6.4% |
2%±1.4Lowest U.S.: 6.4% |
3.9%±1.8 U.S.: 6.4% |
| Dover and Newington are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Cost of living | ||||
| Household incomemedian | $94,829±$7kLowest 17% above U.S. |
$106,219±$7k 32% above U.S. |
$101,522±$10k 26% above U.S. |
$145,833±$46kHighest 81% above U.S. |
| Newington and Portsmouth are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Home valuemedian, owner-occupied | $436,700±$20kLowest 31% above U.S. |
$688,500±$39k 107% above U.S. |
$498,900±$62k 50% above U.S. |
$861,600±$46kHighest 159% above U.S. |
| Rentmedian gross, monthly | $1,607±$100Lowest 14% above U.S. |
$1,869±$111 32% above U.S. |
$1,948±$471 38% above U.S. |
$2,292±$795Highest 62% above U.S. |
| Newington and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Property taxmedian, yearly | $8,249Highest 164% above U.S. |
$8,018 157% above U.S. |
$4,549Lowest 46% above U.S. |
$6,081 95% above U.S. |
| Renters paying 30%+of income on rent | 48.6%±6.3Lowest U.S.: 51.1% |
50.4%±7.2 U.S.: 51.1% |
55.1%±20.1 U.S.: 51.1% |
62.9%±44Highest U.S.: 51.1% |
| Newington and Eliot are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Below poverty line | 8.3%Highest U.S.: 12.5% |
6.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
4.8% U.S.: 12.5% |
4%Lowest U.S.: 12.5% |
| Housing | ||||
| Homeownersof occupied homes | 52.7% U.S.: 65.2% |
51.9%Lowest U.S.: 65.2% |
79.8% U.S.: 65.2% |
86.9%Highest U.S.: 65.2% |
| Typical home builtmedian year | 1976 4 yrs older than U.S. |
1959Lowest 21 yrs older than U.S. |
1979 1 yr older than U.S. |
1984Highest 4 yrs newer than U.S. |
| Getting to work | ||||
| Average commuteone way | 23 min 14% below U.S. |
22 minLowest 16% below U.S. |
23 min 15% below U.S. |
23 minHighest 12% below U.S. |
| Work from home | 18.6%±2.5 U.S.: 15.1% |
21.9%±4Highest U.S.: 15.1% |
17.4%±4.7 U.S.: 15.1% |
8%±2.4Lowest U.S.: 15.1% |
| Portsmouth and Dover are within the Census margin of error here, so we can’t say which is really higher. | ||||
| Schools | ||||
| Public school scoresrank in state, math + reading | #64 of 120 in NH | #11 of 120 in NH | #19 of 133 in ME | — |
| School district | Dover School District | Portsmouth School District | RSU 35/MSAD 35 | Newington School District |
| High school in town | Dover Senior High School | Portsmouth High School | None in town | None in town |
| Students per teacherat that high school | 12.7Highest |
11.4Lowest |
— | — |
| On TownTapestry | ||||
| Old photos in Our Story | None yet | None yet | None yet | None yet |
U.S. average · Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 5-year estimates 2020–2024; 2010 & 2020 decennial census; NCES Common Core of Data. “±” is the Census margin of error. Property tax is top-coded by the Census at $10,000+. School rank compares math and reading proficiency against the state average.